What is the difference between the various Server User license packs and how does it work?

ISSUE:

I’m a bit confused about the Print Server licenses. What is a difference between for example 1 User and 3-5-10 Users licenses? What are the limitations for 1 User license?

ANSWER:

It’s a very common question.

The Print Server licence is based on simultaneous users , not on how many people exist in total or how many PCs are connected. Here’s how it works in practice:

Conceptual Flow:
User sends print job → Licence manager checks license Validation and User Pack Avaliability →
Job runs immediately or waits until a slot is free

1-User Licence

Allows up to 2 users in total , but only ONE user can actively use PDF-eXPLODE at any given moment.

If a second user attempts to use the software while the maximum number of simultaneous users is already reached, access is controlled by the internal licence manager. Depending on timing, the additional job may either:

be queued and processed automatically once an active job completes, or
be temporarily blocked until a licence slot becomes available.

3-User Licence

Allows up to 4 users in total , with up to 3 users working simultaneously .

5-User Licence

Allows up to 6 users in total , with up to 5 users working simultaneously .

10-User Licence

Allows up to 11 users in total , with up to 10 users working simultaneously .

In Short

The User count = how many people can use the software at the same time
The small extra allowance above the simultaneous count helps prevent edge-case lockouts (for example, during user handover)

PDF-eXPLODE is multi-user , meaning multiple users can submit jobs to the Print Server. However, this should not be confused with multi-tasking , where each user has a dedicated memory space and all jobs are processed in parallel at the same time.

The number of jobs processed concurrently is strictly limited by the purchased User pack (1, 3, 5, or 10 simultaneous users) and available memory if one or more Users are processing large memory intensive jobs.

There are no functional limitations between the licences — all editions have the same features. The only difference is how many users can access the Print Server concurrently.

Practical Behaviour – 1-User Print Server Licence

Only one job can be processed at a time. Large jobs submitted by multiple users too close together may be queued, delayed, or fail if the previous job has not completed.

Example Scenario:

Three users attempt to generate large PDF reports almost simultaneously:

User	Start Time	Report Size	Behaviour / Outcome
User #1	09:00:00	400 PDFs	Processed normally (Licence slot available)
User #2	09:00:01	300 PDFs	Queued until User #1 completes. If submitted immediately, may fail or report errors.
User #3	09:00:02	500 PDFs	Queued after User #2. Job likely to fail if submitted without sufficient spacing.

Practical Recommendation:

With a 1-User licence, **space large jobs at least 10–15 minutes apart** to allow completion.
If multiple users need to submit jobs concurrently or frequently, **upgrade to a higher User pack** (3-User, 5-User, etc.) to prevent queue conflicts and failures.

Timeline Diagram Concept:

Time         09:00:00       09:00:01       09:00:02
User #1      [Job1 -----------Completed]
User #2                     [Queued -------- Completed]
User #3                                   [Queued / May fail]

This visual demonstrates why large reports submitted almost simultaneously on a 1-User licence may not run reliably.

For optimal performance and compliance, plan job timing according to your User pack limit.

For a broader overview of licence types (Desktop vs Server vs Network), this article may also help: What is the difference in the various versions of PDF-eXPLODE?